Thursday, June 21, 2012

let's not lie to each other, ok?this does not look pretty.it's pale and brown and greyishand every other word that you wantto use to describe...bleh. it's the kind ofpicture that would have made my formerboss insist that we add a bunch of juliennedbell peppers and herbs, just to jazz things up a little.

but, those peppers?they would have made me really unhappy.because this dinner was incredible andpeppers would have ruined it.

it's a shame about the picture.

three months ago,i searched around on my new blog find,the post punk kitchenwhich i told you about last time,until i stumbled upon the recipe forchickpea picatta. i love picatta -the lemon,the capers,the sauce -it's the chicken i could do without.

this one looked perfect:easy for dinner,full of shallots and capers,lots of lemonandin place of that pesky standard protein, chickpeas.i was dubious though: while i didn't need the egg-lacedpan-fried chicken, i wasn't sure that this version -batter-less and pan fried-less -was close enough to really share a recipe title.

nevertheless,i bought all the ingredients, plus a cauliflower that ithought was needed for heft, and planned to makethe picatta for dinner the following night.when i got home though, i was greeted witha set of ingredients identical to the ones in my bag.somehow, on larry's night to cook, he had stumbledacross the same recipe and was beating me tothe punch by 24 hours.i thought it was weirder than he did.

larry hadn't planned on potatoes or pastaor cauliflower forsopping up the sauce - just wilted arugula.it was too far into the quickcooking process to do anything else, so we splitthe entire pot between the two plates.i could not believe how good it was.i had no idea what to make for dinner the next night.as i ate the picatta,i was sad that the arugula underneath,by now partially wilted,was running low.i was imagining myself finishingthe lemony, briny, shallot-laced saucewith a spoon,lest leaving any of it to be washed off my plate.i tossed in extra arugula. the sauce, now cooler,coated the leaves like a dressing.it was good enough for me.i looked at larry who was doing the same thing.

we were one step short of licking our plates.when i made it myself recently,i really wanted leftovers, so i opted to goback to my original plan: cauliflower steaks.i quickly realized that i would only be ableto get two from the head and decided that would begood enough. i'd roast the rest as florets andtoss those with the leftovers. i also decided to skipsearing the steaks, in hopes of cutting back onoil, time and mess. they all went into the ovenwhile i started slicing shallots.and then i realized how easy this recipe is.slice a bunch of shallots, then some garlicand saute everything with breadcrumbs;simmer into a quick sauce using wine andbroth. finish with lemon and capers.call it a day.had i made a bigger deal about this picattathan i really should have? was i wastinga meal making this twice?

and then, i tasted it.nope - just as simple and goodas last time.not dinner party, fancy good.but definitely, after work, great.i filled two dishes with arugula,not bothering to measure and toppedeach with a golden cauliflower steak.i divided half the chickpeas and sauceover the whole thing and rushed itoutside to better light to take a picture.it was chillierthan i thought it would be.i wanted to go back inside.i really should have kept some of thearugula aside to garnish the top.i tried to get a good picture.i thought i did.we ate it before looking at the pictures(i was foolishly confident).we loved it again.and then, i looked at these sadpictures. they make the sauce lookunappealing, the cauliflower look burnt.

they lie, i tell you.they lie.

chickpea & cauliflower picattaadapted from post punk kitchenso here's the thing about the cauliflower (the thing that almost made me make this recipe again before telling you about it): i liked it better the next day, when those cauliflower florets were mixed in and given the opportunity to soak up the sauce. it was fancier with those cauliflower steaks, but i put my money on the simpler pieces any day. i've written it with steak directions - in case you're really curious - but only because i can't stand when a recipe is written one way, but looks another. (just keep in mind that unless you're a miracle worker, you'll only be able to get two steaks out of one head of cauliflower.) also - i've upped the sauce. the first time, when the meal was split between the two of us, the sauce was overly generous. this time, i considered it to be a passable amount. here, i've multiplied everything by 1 1/2 (except for the chickpeas, cauliflower and arugula).

in large skillet over medium heat, warm olive oil. add shallots and garlic and cook 5 minutes, or until slightly golden and softened, stirring often.

meanwhile, if using all florets: divide cauliflower between two aluminum foil-lined baking sheet coated with cooking spray. spray with cooking spray (or alternatively toss with additional olive oil); sprinkle with kosher salt and black pepper. toss to combine. if using steaks and florets: place steaks on one aluminum foil-lined baking sheet coated with cooking spray. coat with cooking spray; sprinkle with salt and pepper. use second baking sheet for florets.

roast 20-25 minutes, alternating baking sheets from top to bottom of rack midway through cooking, tossing florets and flipping steaks (the steaks are delicate), until golden brown.

add breadcrumbs to the shallots and garlic; cook 2 minutes, stirring constantly. add vegetable broth, thyme, black pepper, thyme and kosher salt to taste. increase heat; bring to a rolling boil. reduce heat to a simmer and cook 7 minutes, or until mixture is thickened and reduced by half.